Harlequin American Romance May 2014 Bundle: One Night in TexasThe Cowboy's DestinyA Baby for the DoctorThe Bull Rider's Family

by Linda Warren

“That, and you smelled like a barnyard.”

  “Barnyards smell healthy,” retorted his uncle.

  “And you say this based on your vast farming experience?” As far as Jack was aware, the closest his uncle had come to a barnyard was a visit to a petting zoo when his daughters were young.

  Rod leaned in the kitchen doorway. “You promised her you’d waive your paternal rights. That’s huge. You should consult a lawyer. You also should have consulted me.”

  They’d already been over this, so Jack cut to the chase. “Anya might rethink her decision to give the baby away. If she doesn’t, I have no idea what it would take to be a single dad to an infant. Neither do you, for that matter.”

  “They don’t play video games?” Rod asked waggishly.

  “Not that I’ve heard.”

  “However, I doubt they run away from home either,” his uncle said.

  Jack saw no point in arguing with such nonsense. “Can we move on, please?”

  “To what?”

  “Almost anything.”

  As his uncle fell silent, his smile disappeared. Jack was startled to notice new lines around Rod’s mouth and eyes. As his closest friend and relative as well as his roommate, Rod had become a fixture in Jack’s life—and like any fixture, he rarely drew close inspection. Now, Jack took a second look at his thin, graying uncle.

  Forty might not be old, but the years weighed on Rod. Perhaps the sudden reconnection with Tiffany—followed by ten days of agonizing silence—had reawakened old sorrows. He also seemed unduly upset by the discovery that Jack might lose a chance to be a father.

  If only the guy had a girlfriend, he’d be a lot happier. Jack loved his uncle, but Rod needed more than him. Anger flared at Portia, who’d not only robbed her husband of his family but who’d soured him on women in general. Since his divorce, Rod had shied away from all but the most casual relationships.

  The older man had apparently held his tongue as long as he could bear to because he returned to his previous theme. “At the very minimum, as that Edmond fellow recommended, you ought to hire your own lawyer.”

  Jack shook his head. “That risks turning this into a battle.”

  “There’s nothing wrong with protecting your rights.” Rod’s phone sounded. “Now who could that be? Probably another salesman for solar panels.”

  In Jack’s hand, his phone also beeped. “I hope this isn’t a citywide emergency.” He checked the readout. “Nope, it’s Anya.”

  Rod had vanished into the kitchen. Good.

  “Hey,” Jack said into his phone. “What can I do for you?”

  “You don’t have to be at Labor and Delivery until 8:00 p.m., right?” she said.

  “Yup. And I’m ready for action.” He’d been almost disappointed at the lack of a request yesterday.

  “We’re having our weekly house conference at four,” Anya said. “It was supposed to be after dinner, but it got moved up. Anyway, I forgot I’d promised to bring a snack, and I’m kind of tired. I wondered if you were willing to run out to the store again.”

  This was exactly the kind of thing Jack had volunteered for. “Glad to. What kind of snacks did you have in mind?”

  “Chips and dip will be fine.”

  “No problem.” It was almost three now. Jack had plenty of time to swing by the Suncrest Market.

  “You can just drop the stuff off,” Anya added.

  Eager to get rid of him, was she? He’d see about that. “Sure.”

  As they ended the call, Jack was already figuring out a healthier alternative to chips and dip. He might not be able to raise his child, but he could provide a healthy start for him or her. Celery sticks with cheese or peanut butter, perhaps. Or fruit would be excellent.

  “Good news!” Rod reappeared, grinning. “That was Helen. The girls are arriving next weekend for a three-day visit.”

  “Great.” It was too early in the year for spring break, Jack noted. “What’s the occasion?”

  “A week from Monday is Presidents’ Day, and there’s no school. The kids’ve been nagging hard, I gather, and their parents caved.” Rubbing his palms together, Rod added, “Helen liked my idea that they volunteer at the animal shelter on Saturday.”

  “Where they’ll run into you,” Jack said.

  “Purely by chance,” his uncle tossed off blithely. “I’ll bet we can think of other ways for them to stumble across me, too.”

  “You bet—as soon as I get back.” Sticking his phone in his pocket, Jack explained about the errand.

  “Just one sec.” From the hat tree that held his assortment of toppers, Rod selected a gray fedora.

  “You’re coming with me?” That might not be the best idea, in light of Rod’s attitude.

  The older man tipped his hat by way of an answer.

  “No digs at Anya,” Jack ordered.

  “I’ll be on my best behavior,” his uncle answered easily.

  Jack didn’t find that statement reassuring. “Exactly what constitutes your best behavior?”

  “I’m there for your protection,” his uncle said. “In case you haven’t noticed, it’s not safe for you to be alone with those people.”

  “We work with those people,” Jack reminded him.

  “Different context.” Rod pocketed his keys from the side table. “What’s on the menu?”

  “Celery and...hmm.” An idea occurred to Jack that might let him stick around for the house conference. He’d love to hear what those folks were up to.

  It was worth a try.

  * * *

  ANYA’S HOUSEMATES STARTED wandering into the den at a quarter to four. From the kitchen, Karen called out that there was hot apple cider with cinnamon sticks. “Help yourselves.”

  “Jack should be here any minute.” Anya felt a little guilty about passing her responsibility to him, even though he deserved it after his ridiculous demand for a DNA test.

  “Let’s get started,” Lucky said once they’d filled their mugs with steaming, aromatic cider. “We’re all here, and we can take a break when the food arrives.”

  Their first item was a disagreement about the kitchen. Karen and Melissa preferred that all dirty plates, cups and tableware be placed immediately in the dishwasher. Zora and Anya were accustomed to accumulating items in the sink between meals.

  “It’s more efficient than having to open the dishwasher a dozen times a day,” Zora said.

  “Except someone else might need to use the sink,” Melissa pointed out. “I had to put away your coffee cups this morning so I could bake muffins.”

  Anya had enjoyed the blueberry muffin Melissa had shared with her. “I guess that’s reasonable.”

  Zora shrugged. “Okay. It isn’t a big deal to me.”

  Lucky had stayed out of this one, Anya was glad to see. She’d been concerned that he might try to boss the women around, but it appeared he’d learned better. Or perhaps he simply didn’t care about this particular matter.

  “Next item.” Karen tapped her list. “Do we each stock our own toilet paper, or should we purchase it in bulk? And what about paper towels? We can’t very well have separate rolls for each of us.”

  Before anyone could answer, the doorbell rang. Anya rose quickly. “That should be for me.”

  As soon as she opened the door, a green T-shirt stretched across Jack’s muscular chest dominated her field of vision. Next, she noticed the well-filled grocery sacks he carried on each side, while, behind him, Rod Vintner’s arms encircled a third bag.

  She stepped out of their path. “You didn’t have to buy out the store.”

  “I figured this late in the day, we might as well bring dinner.” Jack moved past her into the family room. “Don’t let me interrupt,” she heard him announce. “We brought cold cuts and bread for sandwiches. I’ll set these out in the kitchen.”

  Anya found herself face-to-face with Rod. His flicker of reproach vanished so fast she wondered if she’d misinterpreted it.

  “Tiffany and Amber are visitin
g next weekend,” he said in a mild tone. “I’m sure your suggestion helped. Thanks.”

  “I’d love to see them.” From the way he lingered in the entryway, she sensed he had more to say. “What?”

  His gaze dropped to her abdomen. “Congratulations.” The curl of his lip indicated she hadn’t mistaken his reaction to her.

  “Don’t start on me,” Anya warned.

  Rod gave a jerk of surprise. “What did I say?”

  “It’s what you were thinking.” No doubt this man who’d lost all rights to his daughters held a strong opinion about the future of his great-niece or nephew.

  “Now you’re a mind reader?” The man feigned innocence about as effectively as a toddler with chocolate smeared on his face and a plundered cookie jar behind him.

  “Yes,” Anya said. “Watch it.”

  At the hospital, he might be a lordly doctor. Well, semi-lordly; anesthesiologists didn’t have the same cachet as surgeons. But in her house, he’d better behave like a good guest.

  After a tense moment, Rod yielded. “My nephew would agree.”

  “He’s a wise man.”

  She rejoined her housemates in the den. After greeting the small assembly, Rod trailed Jack into the kitchen.

  Anya sneaked a glance at Lucky, half expecting him to complain about the intruders. Instead, he leaned back with a satisfied air. Oh, right. It was his week to cook, and they were relieving him of the duty.

  The roommates returned to the topic of paper goods, agreeing it would be sensible to pool their money and buy in bulk. Karen promised to set up a kitty to which they would all contribute each month.

  During the discussion, Anya remained keenly aware of Jack’s quiet presence as he set a series of platters—breads, cheeses, sliced meats—on the table. He’d gone to a lot of trouble.

  The others wrapped up the meeting quickly, no doubt enticed by the sight and smell of food. Rod seemed to take pride in arranging a stack of pastries pyramid-style on a plate. “No meal is complete without dessert,” he informed the residents as they poured in from the den.

  Anya decided against reminding Jack he was supposed to drop off the snacks and then depart. That would be ungracious. Besides, her housemates were clearly relishing the treat.

  From a cabinet, Karen took a stack of plates. “There’s plenty of apple cider left if you doctors would like some.”

  “I’ve seen you at the hospital but we haven’t been formally introduced,” Rod said to Karen. “I’m Rod Vintner.”

  She smiled. “Karen Wiggins. I’ve seen you, too.” Her pleased expression hinted at an attraction.

  Rod beamed right back at her. “You do such interesting things with your hair. I liked the dark color with the pink stripe, but this reddish-blond is nice, too.”

  “It’s called strawberry.” She stood in the middle of the kitchen, unaware that everyone else was waiting for her to set down the plates.

  “Why don’t we eat in the dining room?” Melissa asked. “The table’s larger.”

  Her words stirred Karen into action. “Great idea.”

  “I’ll bring the silverware.” Lucky lifted the entire organizer from a drawer.

  “We can use the kitchen table as a serving buffet,” Zora added.

  Everyone pitched in. Jack gravitated to Anya’s side. “I get why you moved here. It’s like being part of a big family.”

  No, because they aren’t ordering me around. “It’s better than a family,” she said softly. “We respect each other.”

  “Don’t families do that?” Jack murmured. “Good ones do, surely.”

  “I suppose.” Because no one appeared to be listening at the moment, she added, “Jack, this whole setup—I wasn’t expecting you to bring dinner.”

  “The surprise is half the fun.” He snagged a plate from the pile Karen had set down. “Can I fill this for you?”

  It felt weird, having someone offer to wait on her. Weird, but nice. Too nice. “Thanks, but I’m not an invalid.”

  “Understood.” Jack handed her the plate and stood back to let her serve herself. Both he and his uncle were in good spirits. They might not have been invited, but she was glad now that they’d joined the group for dinner.

  In the dining room, Karen opened the curtains. Late-afternoon sunlight played over the backyard—the brick patio, the lawn and the plot of cool-weather vegetables. Around the perimeter, bougainvillea, honeysuckle and climbing roses obscured the fence with a wealth of pink and orange blossoms. Beyond them stretched the marsh with its subtle shadings of brown and gold.

  “It’s beautiful here.” Rod gazed out admiringly. “There’s only one drawback.”

  “The smell?” Karen said.

  He tilted his head in agreement. “You must get used to it.”

  “Yes. I grew up here,” she said. “And I’m grateful for this full house so I can afford to stay.”

  The seven of them took seats around the oak table, which Melissa and Zora had set with place mats. Jack wound up between Lucky and Melissa, which should have pleased Anya, but she missed him. She was wedged between Rod and Karen, who talked over and around her.

  That felt familiar.

  A smile played across Jack’s face as he observed his uncle and Karen. Anya shared his pleasure at seeing sparks ignite between the couple.

  She’d moved here to put distance between her and Jack. It didn’t seem to be working out that way.

  At the moment, though, she was rather enjoying the warm feelings she had when he was near and the sound of Jack’s laughter at a remark of Lucky’s. Her cheese-mustard-and-sprouts sandwich was delicious, too. A woman could get used to being coddled.

  During a pause in the conversation, Rod remarked, “You folks ought to throw a housewarming party.”

  On Anya’s other side, Karen said, “What a great idea!”

  “I was going to propose that at the meeting,” Lucky said. “Thanks for reminding me.”

  They settled on a barbecue next Saturday afternoon, with each of the residents preparing a dish and guests bringing desserts. For entertainment, they would play croquet on the lawn and set up board games in the den and living room.

  “My daughters will be here from San Diego,” Rod told Karen. “As long as they’re in town, is it all right to invite them and their grandmother?”

  “Of course!” She looked as delighted as if he’d offered to bring the cast of her favorite TV show. “How old are they?”

  “Ten and twelve,” Rod said.

  Anya figured they’d enjoy the party more if they had a role to play. “They could dress up as waitresses—wear frilly aprons and serve hors d’oeuvres.”

  “How adorable,” Zora said.

  “Anya’s good with kids,” Lucky noted. “She could supervise the hostess brigade.”

  “She’s great with kids,” Jack affirmed. “Tiffany’s crazy about her.”

  Their praise flowed over Anya like perfumed lotion. And being around girls that age would be more like play than work. “Sure, I can do that.”

  “Who else shall we invite?” Karen asked. “Let’s make a list.”

  After they’d drawn up the names of coworkers and friends they wanted to invite, Rod asked Karen for a tour of the house. “This is my dream home,” he added.

  “I’d be happy to show you around.”

  Lucky cleared his throat. “Not to rely on stereotypes about rich doctors, but I would have assumed you’d have a place of your own by now.”

  “Long story.” Rod helped Karen from her chair. “I’ll tell you while we walk, if that’s okay.” He’d cut Lucky out of the explanation, which served the guy right, in Anya’s opinion.

  Lucky accepted the situation with good grace. “Since it was my turn to cook and you guys saved me the trouble, I’ll clean up.”

  “I can help,” Zora said. When the others stared at her in surprise, she added, “He’s always accusing me of shirking my share of the work. I’m just proving him wrong.”

  “I do not
,” Lucky protested as he arose.

  “Yes, you have, several times,” Anya told him.

  “Really?”

  “I’ll help, too,” Melissa said. “It’s dangerous to leave you two alone. There might soon be chalk-marked bodies on the kitchen floor.”

  Rod and Karen sauntered into the living room. Jack followed, so Anya went along, too.

  “That’s quite a collection.” Rod examined the colorful plates in the curio cabinet, each bearing the design of a different geographic location. “You must love to travel.”

  “Most of these belonged to my mother, from when she was younger.” Karen’s voice thinned. “I did love to travel with her, but my ex-husband broke most of my plates that I bought on our trips.”

  “That’s awful!” Anya had heard that her friend was divorced, but she didn’t know any of the details.

  “He was a nasty— Well, I’d rather not use an ugly word.” Karen hugged herself, a movement that emphasized her slender figure.

  “I’m sorry.” Rod touched her shoulder lightly. “I didn’t mean to bring up bad memories.”

  Karen moved toward the stairs. “We’ve been divorced for ten years. It’s old news.”

  “My wife left me six years ago,” Rod told her as they climbed, his voice drifting back to Anya. “She was a nasty piece of business herself.”

  “He isn’t exaggerating,” Jack said from beside her. “I can vouch for that.”

  Anya poked him in the ribs. When he swung toward her questioningly, she indicated the older couple, who’d reached the second-floor landing. “They could use some privacy,” she murmured.

  He gave her a conspiratorial wink.

  While Rod and Karen ambled left toward the master suite, Anya detained Jack in the wide upstairs hall. “That’s Safe Harbor in the 1930s.” She indicated a sepia-toned photo of bare bluffs overlooking a harbor smaller than its present formation, with a scattering of vacation cottages where shops, a hotel and restaurants now stood. “Karen says it was dredged and enlarged later.”

  His gaze dropped to the purple couch from Anya and Zora’s apartment. “I’m glad to see you guys were able to haul that sofa up here in one piece.”

  “If you notice any blistered paint, it’s from Lucky’s cursing.” Keenly aware of being alone with him, Anya fought the impulse to draw closer to his warmth. Chattering more than usual to fill the void, she said, “He doesn’t even use it, since his room’s downstairs.”